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Smart cards to be launched in Indian prisons
31 Jan 2012

Inmates at prisons in India are set to be issued with new smart cards as officials look to cut down on the misuse of current food coupons.

The new cashless catering system at Tihar Prisons, a large collection of jails in the village of Tihar, will allow prisoners to top up a limited amount of funds on their pre-paid cards to pay for food and drink in the cafeteria.

It is hoped that the new technology will eliminate the current misuse of the food coupon system, with many inmates found to have swapped their vouchers for contraband such as tobacco.

"This smart card has been introduced so that it is used by inmates for the purpose with which it has been conceived. Food worth up to Rs 1,500 (£19) can be brought with this card," Sunil Gupta, spokesperson of Tihar Prisons.

"There will be an electronic record of each rupee that an inmate spends inside the jail. It cannot be used for illegal activities."

Mr Gupta added that the food coupons were treated as currency in the prison and claimed the new cards will help crack down on this practice.

Canteens at the ten jails which make up the prison complex also offer prisoners the chance to purchase other items such as toiletries.